The present invention relates to a method of making improved liquid smoke products. More particularly, the invention is directed to a process for effectively removing precipitable tar-like materials from liquid smoke to provide final products having enhanced flavor characteristics, and generally improved properties including increased staining capability, enhanced storage stability, and a reduced concentration of materials separable from the liquid smoke upon dilution thereof.
Liquid smoke products of the general type involved in the present invention are widely used to impart smoke flavor and smoke appearance to various food products, and to meat products in particular.
The production of smoked comestibles (for example, smoked meat) has traditionally been done by exposing the article of food to vapor smoke, produced by the burning of wood. In recent years, liquid smoke products have enjoyed considerable acceptance as a replacement for vapor smoke in the production of smoked foods. This is because liquid smoke offers many advantages over the use of vapor smoke, such as: easier application, uniformity, cleanliness, environmental and safety considerations, etc. Typically, liquid smoke has been applied to foods by a dipping or drenching operation, by vaporization or atomization of the liquid smoke into minute particles in smokehouses to simulate vapor smoke, or by addition to pumping pickles. In many of these applications, the liquid smoke is mixed or diluted with water. with or without added acidulants.
One drawback in the dilution of liquid smoke is that it contains materials which "precipitate out" on the addition of aqueous liquids. These materials are resinous or tarry in nature, and are referred to herein as precipitable solids or soluble tars. Precipitable "solids" in liquid smoke derive from the complex and highly reactive nature of the many hundreds of constituents which have been characterized in liquid smoke. Tars precipitation on dilution of the smoke with water or other aqueous liquids deters the widespread utilization of liquid smoke for the manufacture of smoked foods. Such precipitable solids may cause unsightly blotches on the smoked food, and also may clog the nozzles used in any spraying application, or the piping used in drenching applications.
Thus, it is very desirable to have liquid smoke products which would contain a minimum of such precipitable solids on dilution with water. One approach to achieving the latter goal has been the addition of "solubilizing" agents or surface active agents to the liquid smoke. It has been found that a relatively small amount of such agent added to liquid smoke effectively prevents the separation of precipitable solids when the compounded smoke is mixed with aqueous liquids. However, the surfactant is very expensive, adding significantly to the cost of liquid smoke. Further, surface active agents promote undesirable foaming of the diluted smoke, especially in drenching applications
Liquid smoke products are manufactured commercially by aqueous counter-current extraction of vapor smoke in packed towers. Several commercial products are currently marketed under various trademarks. One such family of liquid smoke products, sold by Applicants' assignee, is marketed under the trademark, ROYAL SMOKE. The method of producing this liquid smoke is by a process described in Melcer and Sair U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,741, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The entire disclosure of that patent is hereby specifically incorporated herein by reference, to the extent it is not inconsistent herewith.